Considering the last two Ministry albums were titled Relapse and From Beer to Eternity, it could pretty much be ascertained that frontman Al Jourgensen likes booze. But on Friday, he started suggesting via his Facebook page hat he would be checking himself into rehab as of February 3rd. “12 days til REHAB just gonna drink my face off till I get sent off to another REHAB gulag… fuck I hate these things…. but willing to do the time for the crime,” he said. The following day he was already expressing doubt, however, stating “12 step meetings? I can’t even climb 12 steps… let alone go to their stupid meetings… already getting a bad feeling about this rehab.” Finally yesterday, Ministry’s Facebook page addressed Jourgensen’s decision.
Dear Ministry Fans ! Uncle Al has made the decision to go to rehab to address his alcohol issues. We were really trying to keep this a private family affair and not a media frenzy; however, your crazy Uncle Al posted about it yesterday on his FB page, so now it’s out. Of course we always want to let Ministry fans be the first to know about things, but this got away from us. We hope that you will join us and the entire 13th Planet family in wishing Al the very best and giving him your full support in his journey towards sobriety. We are all very, very proud of him.
If you’re thinking what we immediately thought, that it’s interesting timing that Jourgensen would check into rehab the day after the Super Bowl, even Jourgensen admitted it, stating “I’ve just been informed that I will be checking in on Feb. 3, so I can get shitfaced watching the Super Bowl on the 2nd.” We’re hopeful that everything goes well for Jourgensen. Considering that he’s kicked heroin in the past, hopefully this will be easier. Blabbermouth points out an interview he did back in September where he admitted he was replacing one vice with another.
In a September 2013 interview with the Washington Times, Jourgenen was asked when the last time was that he used a drug other than alcohol. “Eleven years as of September 6 [2013],” he replied, before adding. “I don’t do pharmaceuticals. I don’t do street drugs. I don’t do anything. I’m just basically slowly killing myself with liquor as opposed to the fast departation of this mortal core with street drugs or pharmaceuticals. So, I’ve chosen that path.”
Best of luck to the guy.
